Jakarta Poultry-Free by February
Thursday, 18 January, 2007 | 15:01 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government of Jakarta is banning residents from breeding poultry in residential areas starting February 1.

If anyone violates this, the government warns it will seize and kill the poultry.

“This is to save residents' lives from bird flu,” said Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, at City Hall yesterday (17/1).

The ban was stated in the Governor Regulation No. 5/2007, which was effective as of yesterday.

Capital city's residents are given until January 31 to move their poultry away from residential areas.

Poultry to be removed from Jakarta include chickens, ducks, Manila ducks, geese, pigeons and quail.

”The ways can be by consuming it properly, selling or killing,” said Sutiyoso.

During the last two days, in Jakarta and Tangerang, four people have died due to avian influenza virus.

Between 2005 and 2006, in Jakarta only, 18 people were tested bird flu positive and 16 of them died.

Eddy Setiarto, Jakarta Head of Breeding, Fisheries and Maritime Service, said that there are approximately 2.8 million poultry in Jakarta.

This does not include the 600,000 poultry for slaughter in Jakarta's markets every day.

YUDHA S | AGUSLIA H | SORTA | M MOSES